The Tree of Life

[Vanilla]

Review/Discuss

[Travod]

The only good part is the montage of the universe set to opera music. I watch that scene frequently.

[Ezen Baklattan]

It's too over-ambitious at times, but it's one of the most beautiful films that I've ever seen.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

The best film of the year. So deep, I still think about this.10/10

[CoolioD1]

Ugh, this is a review I had on BOM that I really, really wish I remembered, I had some good points in there that I've totally forgotten.Anyway, this film = C+

[4815162342]

The technical aspects are stellar. Pitt gives one of his most layered performances.The rest is a complete mess.C+

[rockNrollaDIM]

I've been procrastinating watching this for the longest time... I have a free Redbox rental and I'm thinking of using it tonight, but it sounds like such a chore to watch this.

[IndustriousAngel]

Just caught this on BR (missed the theatrical release).What a beautiful film !While I usually prefer "good story" to "pretty picture", "The Tree of Life" does nearly without story and still kept me interested and invested for its not-too-short running time. Most images were shot with rather big f-stops and have incredible depth of field (something I prefer in my own photo-work), creating a very neutral tone (not centered on the actors); in contrast the camera often came very close to the faces and hands of the protagonists - and this all with natural light (often backlight) whenever possible. In fact, so close and under such difficult lighting conditions that they decided to shoot in 1.85:1 instead of Superscope to avoid grainy images (same with high f-stops which need faster, grainier film material).The music is perfect AND they keep it low or even completely silent if necessary."The Tree of Life" has been compared to "2001" and not for nothing - it shares some of its images, the use of music and the focus on picture instead of story. Bit I might add two other films to which you might compare this: Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" (mostly for the camerawork), and Aronofsky's "The Fountain" (not primarily, but also because of the macro-camerawork). While 2001 had kind of a story while philosophising about the universe, "Tree of Life" needs no story to medidate upon the poignancy of life in face of death (same theme as "Fountain", to a lesser degree "Barry Lyndon"). By letting us know at the very beginning of the film that the brother will end up dead age 19, the whole portrayal of (more or less) happy family life carries a bitter taint but also poignancy, reminding us (me at least) that everyone will end up dead sooner or later and you better take care not overlooking the importance of your and your people's days. In this, it also reminds me of the Sandman storyline "Brief Lives".Edit: I hope to catch this on the big screen one day. Shame I missed it

Edited January 6, 2012 by IndustriousAngel

[Plain Old Tele]

I love, love, love the universe and 1950s storyline. Sean Penn's character didn't do that much for me, and I felt the conclusion with him was both wearily on-the-nose and generically vague. But the universe-porn is amazing, and the Waco arc was one of the most captivating and accurate depictions of childhood ever.

[RichWS]

This is the greatest film I've seen since There Will Be Blood. I'm hoping to catch it in a theater again this week. I can't even imagine watching it at home. The big screen is everything.

[rockNrollaDIM]

This was an ambitious and stunning film to watch. The "creation" scenes were out of this world and I did enjoy the narrative, despite it being confusing. I did fear that I wouldn't understand this and I had to read a plot synopsis after viewing it to get a clearer understanding, but I'm happy to say that it didn't go totally over my head. While I don't think it was as unaccesible as some have warned, I also agree that this was very much an "experiment" and not for someone expecting a point A, point B, point C type film. I found the family dynamic to be harrowing. My parents weren't harsh like that but I think we all know how it feels to have pressure on you to not disappoint your family. And despite my general loathing for child actors, I thought the main kid did a really excellent job. Ultimately though, I just didn't connect with this in a huge way and not as much as many other films this year.7.5/10

Edited January 9, 2012 by rockNrollaDIM

[mattmav45]

An absolutely staggering, beautiful film.

This is one of those films that comes along, kicks my ass, and reminds me just how powerful film can be. I could go on and on about this (I basically have since it ended 3 hours ago), but I'll try to just give some initial thoughts.

This is basically the ultimate coming of age film with the beginning of the universe thrown in for good measure, and some of the most mind-blowing imagery ever put to film. I know some have complained it doesn't have a plot.....but oh man, this is more than a film. This is an experience, a meditation on what we're on this planet for and the nature of our existence. It's the kind of film that shows depth in quotes and tiny details that could easily be overlooked. You could almost compare Tree of Life to an empty canvas. It's all laid out for you, and it's up to the viewer to take and reflect on what they wish to.

I understand that Tree of Life may be divisive, but oh man, few films have ever affected me like this.

Pure greatness, a masterpiece.

A

Edited March 6, 2012 by mattmav45

[Noctis]

Quite possibly the most ambitious film I've ever seen.

I was not the biggest fan when I first saw it, but repeat viewings have only made me love it so much more.

This is the most visually magnificent film I've ever laid my eyes on. Emmanuel Lubezki's must be a god among cinematographers, as each and every single shot of the film is so extraordinarily beautiful, and evoke such powerful emotion. The montage of the universe's creation is so awe-inspiring, one can only marvel at Terrence Malick's genius at understanding the science behind it. The story of the three brothers growing up is so intimately crafted, so honestly made, you cannot help but deeply feel for at least one of them. The performances of Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt were both equally great and a delight to watch.

The Tree of Life is, without a doubt in my mind, the best film to truly capture the meaning and essence of life. This was the film that should have won Best Picture and Best Director.

A

[Plain Old Tele]

Hey, Noctis and I (kinda) agree on something! :)Malick did a very smart thing with the "universe" segments; he made sure to get real scientists involved -- Volker Bromm at the University of Texas (star formations), Donna Cox & Robert Paterson at the National Center of Supercomputing Applications (interstellar periods), Lynn Margulis (cellular/microbiological life) and Jack Horner (dinosaurs). So while everything looked amazing it also (for the most part) was fairly accurate, certainly much more-so than movies typically are.

[IndustriousAngel]

This was the film that should have won Best Picture and Best Director.

At least best cinematography was a lock for me; shame on the academy for chosing Hugo (which was splendid in its way but really no match). Best picture and director can be argued as it resonates with some (me, for instance) and not with others and was more of a collage than a story film. It's too soon to tell, but I believe "The Tree of Life" will be one of the 2011 films (maybe the only one) that "stays" with me. Have already watched it 3 times on BR on hope to catch it some day on the big screen - so sad that I missed it but its theatrical run here was rather short.

[Noctis]

I was appalled when the Tree of Life lost the cinematography award. Such a massive shame it broke my heart.

[Travod]

I kind of got annoyed by how every scene was the camera looking at the sky or trees.

[Joel M]

It has breathtaking images and the birth of the universe montage was great. But I thought it was artsy and difficult and "poetic" just for the sake of it. I didn't get it.

[Webslinger]

My favorite movie of 2011. Here's my review/reaction to it from Filmgasm back in August:

This one blew me away. Terrence Malick's latest film is an absolutely captivating and at times profoundly moving experience. Malick sets his storytelling ambitions high in intimately depicting the life of a family over the course of ten (or so) years while also exploring their connection with the far grander scope of nature, grace, and time. (And God? Even though it only explicitly addresses religion a few times, it still seems like one of the most spiritually/religiously-minded movies I've ever seen.) As one could expect from Malick given his past work, there's also more of a concern with exploring ideas and evoking emotions than there is with conventional storytelling. While such grand ambitions might have sunk a less talented filmmaker, Malick presents it all masterfully, effectively evoking the wonders and the difficulties of childhood, the sting of loss, the weight of expectations, and the tenderness of love. Much of the success Malick has in evoking these feelings is owed to a collection of incredible, wholly unforced performances from his cast. The kids are all very good (my guess is that a good many of their scenes were probably at least partially improvised; they seem too spontaneous to have been scripted very tightly), but the performances that stick out most to me are those of Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt as the parents. Chastain brilliantly emanates warmth and communicates such a breadth of emotions without a large amount of dialogue, while Pitt convincingly portrays a father who is strict (but ultimately loving, in his own way) and trying (with questionable success) to impart to his sons the masculinity he seems to value. Admittedly, I do think the film is at its best when dealing with the family, but the sequence depicting the beginning (creation?) of life and the Heaven(?) scene near the end are beautifully filmed and successfully invite viewers to ponder the same questions about life, death, and the enormity of the universe that the characters mull over in voiceovers throughout the film. With its unconventional storytelling and its exploration of difficult (but fascinating) questions, this film is not going to be for everyone. However, for viewers who allow what Malick has pulled together to wash over them, it's a unique and extremely worthwhile cinematic experience.

A

[FTF]

I need to watch this again, on blu-ray, as I only saw it once in the theater (a small, not great quality one at that). I remember it being one of the best looking movies I've seen in a while (even though I love Hugo, this really should have won cinematography), and I really liked the scenes with Pitt and his kids, but the really vague parts and the scenes with Penn brought the movie down for me.